calming an overtired baby?

[jaycee]

Hi All

I am new to this forum and to the BW concepts in general. We have been trying to get our 7 week old daughter on EASY for about a week and not having a lot of success.

For a start, she feeds every two hours, not three, and then only 10 - 15 mins on one breast only. I know she is feeding well because she is in the 95th percentile for weight for her age, so she is obviously efficient. Should I be trying to stretch out these feeds though?

Sleeping is becoming more and more of an issue unfortunately. Every morning like clockwork she will go back to sleep an hour after waking (and I worry that this is too soon?) and then I am able to put her down for another morning nap without too much trouble (using shh-pat).

But after the mid morning nap every time I spot a tired sign and begin the wind down it just winds her up. She fights and fights sleep, but is obviously very tired as she screams and "claws" at me. As a result of no sleep from mid-morning onwards this pattern continues at night and the evenings are long and filled with us trying whatever method we can think of to calm her. Eventually she just seems to wear herself out (last night after 5 hours of protest).

I'm not sure if the feeding times and lengths are related to her reluctance to nap/go to sleep at night. Also if anyone has any suggestions as to how to calm her when she is frantic so we can get her to sleep that would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

[corrina01]

Do you swaddle her?  My lo was at this age when I started to swaddle.  She calmed right down.  What I used to do is the first sign of a yawn I would take her upstairs, then put a dummy in her mouth. Then she would do a second yawn thats when I swaddled her and put her down in moses basket.  She would go off to sleep with her dummy in about 5-10 mins.

I hope this helps   

[GraysonsMommy]

This happened to us yesterday!  Our problem is that Grayson is on the 4 hour EASY schedule, but if he sleeps any less than 2 hours, it throws us off, because he can only last about 1.5-1.75 hours awake.  So yesterday he didn't last very long awake between each nap and then he only took a 45 minute nap in th elate afternoon.  This left us with 3 1/2 hours before bedtime.  He would NOT go down and did exactly what you are explaining when I tried to make him take a 4th nap.  I was only hoping for a 30-45 minute catnap anyway, but no go!  By the time bedtime came around, he was overtired, couldn't stay awake for his full feed and was restless sleeping all night.  We used to swaddle, but he likes to be free now.  We also just took away his dummy/pacifier less than a week ago.  We are trying to teach him to self soothe, but when our schedule falls like this, it ruins everything we work so hard for!  I am looking forward to your replies on this thread as well!

Jessica with Grayson - 16 weeks

[corrina01]

When did you stop swaddling him.  If you stopped swaddling him at roughly the same time you took his dummy away then I think it is too much for him to take getting used to.  If you did stop using the dummy the same time as swaddling I would reintroduce one of the comforts for at least 2 weeks before you take the other away.   

I hope this helps   

[GraysonsMommy]

We stopped swaddling over a month ago and the pacifier, we only took that away this week.  He doesn't like to be swaddled anymore, but he definately misses his pacifier.  He's finding his thumb slowly but surely. Right now, he has to hold it in with his other hand, it's really cute.  He can't do it at night or while he's sleeping, only when he's awake.  I'm sure once he masters this task, he will calm himself easier.  I see him trying to suck his thumb as he is getting tired.

Jessica

[corrina01]

Same here.  She is sucking her thumb when she is awake but cant seem to find it when she is sleepy. 

Keep at it then, and it will pay off.